I launched an hour late after the sea-breeze already pushed its way into the valley below launch and pretty well killed the day. There were just enough scraps of lift to work with and drift downwind to where things were going off a little better. I played it extremely conservative which resulted in a shorter flight but no matter as I landed at a well-known biker bar in the desert which gave our group plenty of post-flight enjoyment. Yes, I paid for a round.

Really enjoyed your video! Where is this piece of land? Looks like being on another planet

And, what is that small wire attached to your helmet for?

Thanks. This is the high desert between Apple Valley and Barstow, CA. I have attached the track file so you can have a better look. The string connected to my helmet runs through 2 pulleys and attaches to ~6' of 1/16 x 1/16 latex tube that produces a very smooth 2# or more of lift on my helmet and helps make up for my weak neck muscles.

Great flight. It looked like a real battle to stay in the weak lift. Looked like a long final glide after it shut down. Also, the first landing I've seen you do without a drag chute. It always feels good to nail the landing.

Great flight. It looked like a real battle to stay in the weak lift. Looked like a long final glide after it shut down. Also, the first landing I've seen you do without a drag chute. It always feels good to nail the landing.

Thank you for posting.

Thanks. That long and drifting climb-out from over the LZ was the most difficult successful save I've ever done. That long final glide was like 6:1 with a tailwind. Easily the worst continuous flushing I have ever experienced. My buddy Gavin (ace PG pilot) who organized this trip called me on Friday to go again on Saturday. Sadly for me I was sick. Happy for him since he flew just over 96 miles in 7 hours. He made a low save from <400' AGL shortly after launch and did a lot of struggling before connecting. I saw his track on XCFind and called to congratulate him. He told me I could have made it to NV easily. After I replayed his flight in SeeYou I wasn't too sure I would have connected after launch. The Ord record is 308 miles by an Atos B. There were two that day and the first bombed out in the LZ while the second was in the process of bombing out and setting up to land when a Deus Ex Machina appeared and carried the second pilot from 300' AGL to 10,000' AGL and into a convergence line up the Owens Valley and into NV. I cringe at the thought of doing a flight like that. If I were 20 years younger I'd be eager.
Excess use of the FFE drogue makes me lazy. Control surfaces and control devices can and will fail. Engines fail all the time. So do flaps and spoilers on gliders. Can every glider pilot do a good slide-slip to control his glide path and not overshoot? It's not like that lot behind the biker bar wasn't huge. I landed at the most incredible golf course on Thursday. No powerlines; minimal hills;and very few trees. I felt like a schmuck for even thinking of using the drogue, which I didn't. But when I dropped down into the wind shadow of the two-story clubhouse and tried to flare with little airspeed I was sure glad I choked up high on the downtubes first. I ran like 25 steps with my arms outstretched overhead trying to save the landing. I did save it and managed not to let any part of the glider touch the beautifully groomed fairway.
Speaking of Deus Ex Machina--the beer cart came rolling by while I was breaking down in the shade. Now if Cheyenne, the lovey beer cart gal would just respond to the contact information on my calling card.....